Ballast water treatment pilot study (B1.5)

Task leader: Dr Phil Schneider, James Cook University.

Task associate: Dr Russell Reichelt, CRC Reef.

A team of researchers from CRC Reef, based at James Cook University, and a consortium of Australian government and industry partners are working together as the Australian Ballast Water Treatment Consortium (ABWTC).

The ABWTC has developed a pilot plant to sterilise ballast water and help prevent ships transporting marine pests across the world’s oceans. The project has attracted support from government, industry and research partners for the three year, $675,000 project.

The technology used in the plant has the potential to improve shipping safety by providing an alternative to the exchange of ballast water at sea. Preventing future introductions of marine pests will save governments and industries around the world billions of dollars in costs to remove invasive species and prevent their spread.

This project has been supported by CRC Reef Research Centre, James Cook University, the Natural Heritage Trust, Ports Corporation of Queensland, Mackay Port Authority, Gladstone Port Authority, Port of Townsville, Amiad Australia, Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Pasminco Century Project, The Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, URS, Modular Solution Technologies and the Great Barrier Reef Research Foundation.

For the final report to the Department of Environment and Heritage click here.

For more information on the ballast water problem click here.

For more information on introduced marine pests click here.